Traveling-grate furnace



3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

"P. H. RICHARDS. TRAVELING GRATE FURNACE.

Patented Oct. 16,1894.

Inventor? I I Y lmwllinshw- I A Witnesses.-

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. I. H. RICHARDS.

TRAVELING GRATE FURNACE.

No. 527,454. Patented Oct. 16, 1894.

Witnesses: 17256725021 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FRANCIS II/RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B.COXE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAVELlNG-GRATE FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,454, dated October16, 1894.

Application filed July 18, 1894. Serial No. 517-875. (No model.)

7 T aZZ whom it vow/y concern:

Be it known that I, FaANc'Is H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford andState ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTraveling-Grate Furnaces, of which the following is a specification. 1This invention relates to traveling-grate [O furnaces andis in thenature of an improve ment upon the traveling-grate furnace described andclaimed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 510,551, granted tome December 12, 1893, to which reference may be had. n v r The object ofmy present invention is to provide in connection with a furnace of thisclass an endless traveling grate of improved construction andorganization and to provide means for imparting atraveling movement towill be directly actuated from one end only.

Another object of the invention is to provide means fol-supporting thetraveling grate entirely independent of its actuating mechanism, andalso to provide means whereby one or more sections of the travelinggrate o may be removed or replaced without disturbing the continuity ofthe remaining portion of said grate.

In the drawings accompanying and form ing partof this specification,Figure 1 is a 3 5 sectional side elevation of a traveling-grate furnaceembodying my present improve- 1 merits, portions of the grate-sectionsbeing broken away to more clearly show the construction thereof. Fig. 2is a sectional plan 0 View of a portion of said furnace. Fig. 3 is asectional side elevation of a portion of the furnace showing a portionof the framework for carryingthe grate-mechanism and one of theguide-ways which supports and directs 5 themovement of the travelinggrate. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of the furnace taken in lineate-a, Fig.1 looking toward the left hand in said figure. Fig. 5 is avertical crosssection of a portion of the furnace taken in line b-b,Fig. 1 and looking toward the left hand in said figure, thegrate-actuating mech anism being partially shown in elevation. Fig. 6 isaside elevation, partiallyin section, of a portion of the travelinggrate, on an enlarged scale, said figure showing two gratesections in anassembled condition. Fig. 7

is a cross-sectional view of two connected grate-sections taken in linec--c, Fig. 8,1001:- ing toward the left hand in said figure. Fig.

8 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of-6o the grate-sections.

Similar characters designate like parts in all of the figures. a

The furnace in connection with which my present improvements are shown,is, or may be, as to the general construction and arrangement thereof,substantially the same as the one described in Patent No. 510, 551hereinbefore referred to, but it will be understood that my improvementsare applicable to other furnaces than the one shown in said patent.

The furnace herein shown has the usual f urnace-cha'mber, C, and has theusual inclosing walls at the sides and ends thereof, and is also shownprovided with the ordinary roof 7 5 A. The side-walls are designated by2 and 4, respectively, the front-end wall by 3, the rear-end wall by 5,and the bridge-wall by 7.

At the forward end of the furnace this is provided with the usualfuel-hopper, H, from So which fuel is'deliveredto the furnace-chamherthrough the chute or opening, 5', in a wellknown manner. it

In the form thereof herein shown, thegrate which is supported in thefurnace-chamber C, is in the nature of an endless traveling grate,designated in a general way by G, supported for traveling movement inthe furnace-chamber C and comprising the upper and lower runs, 10 and11, respectively, the upper run 0 1O constituting the furnace-floorproper.

As a means for supplying air to the fuel at varying pressures atsuccessive pointsin the length of the f urnace-chamber to secure thebest practical resultsyin the combustion of 9 5 the fuel, I haveprovided an air-blast apparatus which is shown located underneath theupper run of the grate and preferably comprising a series of successiveair-blast chambers, herein shown as four in number, and

designated by a, b, c and d, respectively, which air-blast chambers maybe of the same general construction and arrangementand carry out thesame functions as the air-blast chambers shown and described in LettersPatent of the United States No. 510,588, granted to Eckley B. OoxeDecember 12, 1893, to which reference may be had, said air-blastapparatus being supported by some-suitable connections with theside-walls2 and 4 of the furnace. These air-blast chambers a, b, c and dare shown having communicating openings through their division walls andare shown supplied with air from a pipe, P, communieating with one ofsaid chambers, herein shown as the chamber h, each air-blast chamberhaving an outlet opening contiguous to the fuel-carrying run of thegrate, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1 of thedrawings. The mode of operation of supplying air to the fuel at varyingpressures at successive points in the traveling movement thereof issubstantially the same as described in Letters Patent of the UnitedStatesNo.

499,715, granted to Eckley B. Ooxe June 20, 1893, to which reference maybe had for a more complete description of the operation of the air-blastapparatus, which air-blastapparatus, broadly, constitutes no part of my.

present invention.

Mypresent invention particularly resides in an improved construction andorganization of traveling grate and in meansfor supporting, guiding, andactuating said grate, as

will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the preferred form thereof herein shown,

vthe travelingv grate, which is supported as before described, fortraveling movement within the furnace-chamber, consists of a series oftransversely-disposed grate-sections, 9, flexi blycoupled together bylinks, 9, at opposite ends thereof, asshown in Figs. 1, 4:, 5 and 6,

and are preferably provided with rollers, 6,

adapted to run upon tracks, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

As a means for supporting the upper and lower runs of the endless grate,and as a means forguiding-the. successive grate-sections' andmaintaining them in their proper relative positions during the travelingmovement thereof, I have provided grate-supportingguide-ways located oneat each" side of -thefurnace-chamber and designated by 20,

way, 20, adapted for receiving the rollers 6 of the grate-sections 9.The upper portion of the channel 20, or thatportion which directs themovement of the fuel-carrying run 10 of the grate, is herein shownin ahorizontal plane, while the lower'portion of said channel, or thatportion which directs. the

movement of the" lower run of thegrate, is

shown inclined upward toward its rear end so 7 that the upper and lowerruns of the grate at that end nearest the rear end of thefurnace-chamber will be in closer proximity than at the forward orfuel-receiving end thereof when in operative position, thus securing ashorter turn to the endless grate at its delivering end than at itsreceiving end.

In practice, the guide-ways will preferably be formed integral with theside-plates 23 and 23 of the furnace-chamber, said side plates beinglaterally flanged as most clearly shown in Fig. 5 to form the tracks 21and 22 which practically constitute said guide-ways.

To provide for the ready removal of one or more of the grate-sections, aportion of the tracks 21 and 22, at the forward end of thefurnace-chamber are shown formed separate from the remaining portions ofsaid tracks,

'saidsegments of tracks being formed upon a removable portion, 25, ofthe side-plates 23' and 23', respectively, one only of which is clearlyshown. (See Fig. 3 of the drawings.) By removing the track-segments 25at each side of the furnace-chamber I am enabled to disconnect agrate-section from the'next adjacent section and withdraw the same fromeither side of the furnace, as will be readily understood by referenceto said Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In the present instance I have shown the furnace provided with awater-seal substantially such as described in the Patent No.510,588,hereinbefore referred to, the function of which is to preventthe possible escape of air from the air-chambers around the lower run ofthe traveling grate.

In the form thereof herein shown, each grate-section consists-of aperforated fuelsupporting plate, 26, having transverse flanges, 27, atopposite ends thereof, and having'a longitudinal central web or flange,28, extending from end to end of the grate-section between theend-flanges 27 thereof. In

"practice the central vlongitudinal flange 28 will be reinforced atopposite sides at each end thereof, and will be inwardlytapered to forma tooth,.29, at each end of the gratesection adapted to be engaged bythe teeth of a revoluble driver, 12, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed. Formed at each end of the grate-section, preferably integralwith the transverse flanges 27, are two remotely-disposed trunnions,30,. whose axes are in a line, preferably, parallel with relation to thefuel-supporting face of the gratesection, each of which trunnions isadapted to be removably-engaged by the end of a link, 9, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Loosely mounted upon pins, 8, securedin the trunnions 30 are the rollers 6 which ride upon the tracks 21and22 of the guide-ways, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 5 and 8 ofthe drawings. The pins which carry the rollers 6 will, in practice, he

angular construction of trunnion is of ma terial importance as it notonly provides a free pivotal connection between the coupling link 9 andtrunnion, but also provides abutments or stop-faces for saidcoupling-link, which faces, while they permit the necessary amount oflateral movement of said links, limit the movement thereof during thechange in positions of successive grate-sections during their circuitoustraveling movement and thus retain the grate-sections in the properrelative positions. The coupling links 9' will,inpractice, usually bemade of flat barmetal formed into a continuous loop as shown in Fig. 6of the drawings, thus forming an oblong link having semi-circulartrunnion engaging ends, said ends being adapted for engaging ,theopposite curved faces of two trunnions oftwo adjacent grate-sections,respectively, as will be understood by reference toFigs. 1 and 6 of thedrawings.

As a means for imparting a traveling movement to the upper and lowerruns of the grate in" opposite directions, respectively, I have providedtwo revoluble drivers, 12, which in the form thereof herein shown are inthe nature of wheels having peripheral teeth, 12', adapted for engagingwithin the tooth-spaces between the successive teeth 29 of thesuccessive grate-sections 9. These revoluble drivers are both shownmounted upon a single shaft, 13, at each end thereof, said shaft beingjournaled in bearings on the sideplates 23 and 23' of thefurnace-chamber and being provided at one end thereof with a worm-wheel,40, the teeth of which are in engagement with the teeth of a worm, 41,upon a driving-shaft, 42, journaled in bearings, 43, upon the side-wall4 of the furnace, this driving shaft 42 being provided with a pulley,44:, by means of which it is driven by a belt (not shown) from anysuitable source of power.

By providing each grate-section with a tooth at each end thereof midwayof the width of said section, as hereinbefore described, and byproviding a revoluble driver with teeth of less width than the length ofthe tooth-spaces between the teeth of adjacent grate-sections,there is aresultant gain in the length of the endless grate over the tooth-spacedistances of the driver which allows for any variation in widths of thegrate-sections, and also insures a free intermeshing engagement of theteeth of the driver with the teeth of the grate-sections during "theirconstantly changing positions while traveling around the forward side ofthe driver, as will be readily apparent by reference to Fig. 1 of thedrawings, which partially illustrates in section, the successivepositions of the grate-sections and their teeth relative to the teeth ofthe revoluble driver.

By'the construction andorganization herein shown and described, it willbe seen that the grate-sections, owing to the position of theirrespective teeth and their loose connections with the successivegrate-sections are free to rock laterally as is necessary in passingaround the forward end of their circuit, and that, by the use of therollers, will have a free traveling movement without undue retardingfriction.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim- 1. In a furnace of the class specified, the combination with thefurnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, of an endless grate supportedfor traveling movement within the furnace-chamber and comprising aseries of transversely-disposed grate-sections, each of which has twotrunnions at each end thereof having curved inner faces and angularouter faces, substantiallyas described, rollers carried upon pinsconcentric to the curved portions of said trunnions,loop-shapedcouplinglinks in engagement with the curved faces of adjacenttrunnions of adjacent grate-sec tions and adapted for engaging theangular faces of said trunnions during the circuitous traveling movementof the grate to limit the lateral movement of said sections relativelyto each other, and means for imparting a traveling movement to theendless grate, substantially, as described. 1

2. In a furnace of the class specified, the

combination with the furnace-chamber and.

its inclosing-walls, of grate-supportingguide ways, at opposite sides ofthe furnace-chamber, and an endless grate supported for travelingmovement by said guide-ways Within the furnace-chamber, and comprising aseries of transversely-disposed grate-sections, each of which has twotrunnions at each end thereof, which trunnions have curved inner facesand angular outer faces, substantially as described, and loop-shapedcoupling-links teeth at opposite ends thereof and carrying rollers atsaid opposite ends which are supported in said guide-ways, driverslocated at one end of the furnace-chamber and engag ing the teeth of andimparting a traveling movement to the grate-sections, and means forrotating said drivers, substantially as described and for the purposeset forth.

4. In a furnace of the class specified, the

combination with the furnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, of anendless grate supported for traveling movement within thefurnace-chamber and comprising an upper- 7 in guide-ways connected withthe side-walls of the furnace-chamber, driving mechanism located betweenthe upper-and lower runs of thetraveling grate at one end thereof andadapted for imparting a traveling movement to said grate, and anair-blast apparatus located intermediate to the upper and lower runs ofsaid grate and adapted for supplying air through the openings in thegratesections to the fuel supported upon the up per run, substantiallyas described and for the purpose set forth. Q

5. In a furnace of the class specified, an endless grate supported fortraveling movement within the furnace-chamber and: com-.

prising a series of longitudinally-flanged grate-sections having twotrunnions ateach end thereof having curved inner faces and angular outerfaces substantially as described,

rollers carried upon pins concentric'to the curved portions of saidtrunnions, and loopshaped coupling links in engagement-with the curvedfaces of the adjacent trunnions of adjacent grate-sections and adaptedfor engaging the angular faces of said trunnions during the circuitoustraveling movement of the grate,and means for imparting a travelingmovement to the endless grate, substantially as described.

6. The herein-described grate-section for endless grates of the classspecified, it consisting of a perforated fuel-supporting plate having alongitudinal central rib extending from end to end thereof andreinforced at opposits ends to form a driving tooth at opposite endsthereof, two cross-sectionally angular trunnions at each end of thegrate-section adapted to be engaged by couplinglinks, rollers revolublycarried upon pins secured in said trunnions, substantially as describedand for the purpose set forth.

7, In a furnace of the class specified, the combination with thefurnace-chamber and its inclosing Walls, of a pair of coincidingcircuitous grate-supporting guide-ways located one at each side of thefurnace-chamber, an endless grate supported for traveling movement insaid guide-ways and comprising a series of coupling-link-connectedgrate-sections carrying rollers at opposite ends thereof which aresupported by said guide-ways and having one centrally-disposed tooth ateach ,end adapted for engagement by the teeth of a revoluble driver,revoluble drivers located at one end of the endless grate and engagingthe teeth of, and imparting a traveling movement to, the grate-sections,and means for rotating said drivers, substantially as described and forthe purpose set forth.

8. In a furnace of the class specified, the combination with thefurnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, of two circuitousgratesupporting tracks located one at each side of the furnacechamber,an endless traveling grate having an upper and lower 'run supported fortraveling movement in opposite directions between said tracks andcomprishaving two cross-sectionally angular trunnions at each endthereof, coupling-links extending over the adjacent trunnions of andconnecting adjacent grate-sections so as to permit a limited amount oflateral movement of said sections relatively to each other, and rollerscarried at the ends of' said trunnions and riding upon said tracks,means in connection with and adapted for impartinga traveling movementto the upper and lower runs of the gratein opposite directions,respectively, and an air-supply apparatus located between the upper andlower runs of the grate and adapted for supplying air through theperforations in the grate-sections to the fuel carried upon the upperrun of said grate at varying pressures at successive points in thelength of the furnace-chamber, substantiallyas described.

9. In a furnace of the class specified, the combination with thefurnace-chamber and its inclosing walls, of two circuitousgratesnpporting tracks formed 'integralwith the side-plates of thefurnace-chamber and having at one end thereof a vremovable section, anendless traveling grate supported for traveling movement by said tracksand compris- 7 ing a series of grate-sections having trunnions connectedtogether by coupling-links and having rollers at opposite ends thereofsupported between the tracks, substantially as described, and actuatingmechanism for said grate, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

10. The herein-described grate-section for traveling grates of furnacesof the class specified, it consisting of aperforated fuel-supportingplate having transverse flanges at the opposite ends thereof and havingtwo crosssectionally angular trunnions at each end thereof, eachtrunnion of which has a curved inner face and angular outer faces orabutments, the curved face of which trunnions constitutes apivot-bearing for a coupling-link and the angular facesof which trunnionconstitute abutments for limiting the lateral movement of said sectionrelatively to the coupling-link, pins fixed in said trunnions, androllers carried upon said pins at the outer ends thereof remote from theends of said section, substantially as described and for the purpose setforth.

11. In a furnace of the class specified, the

ing a series of perforatedgrate-sections each 1o posed grate-sectionsconnected together for lateral movement by coupling links engagingtrunnions of said sections intermediate to the rollers and ends of saidsections, and means for imparting a traveling movement to the grate,substantially as described.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE,

EMMA G. FOWLER.

